The provincial government will put $20 million towards addressing issues of erosion that occurred at the end of June when communities across southwest Alberta experienced unprecedented flooding.
Mayor John Borrowman said on Tuesday (July 13) that Canmore has asked for $7 million out of the erosion fund for a variety of projects nor covered under the disaster recovery fund.
Kyle Fawcett, associate minister of recovery and reconstruction, was in Canmore Friday afternoon (Aug. 9) to make the funding announcement because erosion is not covered under the provincial and federal disaster recovery program.
“This week we made a decision at the flood recovery ministerial task force to put $20 million toward helping municipalities and communities deal with erosion,” he said. “There are seven communities that we have identified in the southwest portion of the province.
“We will be working with the municipalities to determine the exact cost of each of the projects.”
The funding is separate from the disaster recovery program, and Fawcett said the province expects communities to take the lead in identifying projects to address creek or river bank erosion resulting from the flood and apply for funding.
There is also an expectation municipalities will take the lead on coordinating mitigation of the erosion of private land in their communities.
In Canmore, that includes work along the banks of Cougar Creek, while in the MD of Bighorn, that includes Lac Des Arcs and Exshaw.
“The government of Alberta is going to be there to support rebuilding and work with municipalities to determine what is in the best interest and remediate areas that have been eroded,” Fawcett said.
Borrowman said the $7 million includes $5 million for channel shaping and protection work in Cougar Creek, installing an interim debris trap upstream of Elk Run Boulevard and re-establishing private property along the creek. As well, the $600,000 council recently approved for a mountain creek mitigation plan is also part of the request. There are also funds for working on other creeks in the community and installing road crossing protections for Highway 1A, Elk Run and Three Sisters Parkway.
Other communities that can apply for funding through the program include Calgary, Crowsnest Past, communities along the Sheep River like Black Diamond and Okotoks, Bragg Creek and Exshaw and Lac Des Arcs.
